Re-Act, Refugee Action, Scotland, is a volunteer run Non-Profit Humanitarian Aid Co-operative launched in response to the global refugee crisis. We are part of a growing organisation, fundraising to bring urgent aid to people in need across the world.

Thanks to our dedicated teams and partner projects, including Edinburgh Cares, Re-Act Lochaber, Falkirk and Badenoch to name but a few, we have managed to send around 600 tonnes of vital aid to people in need in France, Greece, Croatia, Hungary, Serbia, Macedonia, Turkey and Syria since August 2015, with over 750,000 donated items being individually hand sorted, packed and shipped by our incredible volunteers. Several teams of volunteers have also joined aid runs to help support aid organisations in various locations. Much of our funds have also been used to purchase and provide water, food, clothing, building materials and other urgent supplies on site, thus aiding local economies.

Our efforts continued through the harsh winter months as conditions deteriorated and the risk of disease and death increased daily, but we are working just as hard through the warmer seasons as more and more people are in dire need of aid. Fundraising is vital in order to continue doing this; every pound donated makes a difference. The conditions many men, women and children are surviving in is highly dangerous and inhumane.

In Calais alone there are thousands of displaced people who have fled their home countries in Africa and throughout the Middle East, countries including Syria, Eritrea, Afghanistan, Iran and Iraq, and risked their lives in a desperate attempt to find safety. Most of these people have fled from war and tyranny and have suffered through and witnessed atrocities that most cannot begin to comprehend.

As we are volunteer run every penny raised goes directly to helping those in need, and we wish to thank everyone involved for the incredible generosity and dedication they have shown.

In conjunction with our partner projects and other organisations we are also working to support individuals and families arriving in Scotland and also aim to educate, to raise awareness of the growing crisis and unite in a spirit of solidarity and equality for all. Current projects involve such things as setting up playgroups for children and their families and English language lessons for children and adults. We also aim to assist our new neighbours in settling into their new homes by sourcing furniture and other essential items, and helping them integrate into their new communities.

We believe that everybody has a right to life; their needs do not matter less merely because they were not born into a more peaceful and privileged society. We are all people, we are equal, we all have a right to a basic quality of life and we all deserve a chance to live in peace.

HOPE

Humanity
Opportunity
Peace
Equality

Thank you all for your incredible and generous support.

Updates

Project FAQ

Why are we fundraising?

Currently our primary needs are monetary fundraising in order to bring vital, emergency aid to refugee crisis areas around the world. Through both the harsh winter months and warmer summers, conditions in many areas continue to rapidly deteriorate. We are responding and reacting to crises as quickly as possible. We have so far provided aid to tens of thousands of people around the world, with many more trips planned and with regular teams of experienced and skilled volunteers going out to work. Fundraising is absolutely vital to allow us to continue these efforts, though there are many other ways that people can become involved.

Why is PayPal the only payment method on the page?

Earth-Ways' only option for pledges to be made to the page is via PayPal, which is a safe and secure online payment method easily accessible to all. However if you are unable to pledge via PayPal then cash or cheques are acceptable; cash or cheques can be hand delivered to Gill McArthur during Studio 24 drop-off opening hours found on our website at www.re-act.scot, or cheques can be posted to Gill McArthur at Studio 24, 24-26 Calton Rd, Edinburgh EH8 8DP, made payable to Re-Act Now Limited.

How are our donations spent?

As we are entirely volunteer run, every penny raised goes directly to providing aid. Our funds have to date been used to provide and meet a variety or urgent needs. Some funds cover costs of transporting donations abroad, and much goes to providing urgent food water and other supplies on site to countless thousands of individuals and families who are malnourished, dehydrated and sick once, our donations have been delivered. Some funds allow us to cheaply purchase in bulk such life-saving items as first-aid foil blankets, and other items that are not generally donated. Additionally emergency funds will purchase building materials in order to help construct warmer and safer shelters for the most vulnerable, and to assist other volunteer teams working in various sites. We are affiliated with and working alongside several other projects and organisations in an effort to combine our resources for the benefit of those we aim to reach. We are working alongside a Welcoming Association in conjunction with other local organisations in order to provide support to individuals and families arriving in Edinburgh.

We have very few overheads as our current drop-off and storage spaces have been donated to us, and non-aid project expenses are minimal as we pay no wages and hire no staff. Many of our volunteers pay their own travel and accommodation expenses in order to join us and work with us, some do so by fundraising for themselves to cover costs, though for those who are unable to do so and have valuable skills we provide some assistance to bring volunteers to crisis zones where additional, experienced hands are desperately needed.

What else can I donate?

Please see the up-to-date lists of items we are collecting and how to pack and sort them on our website at http://www.re-act.scot/what-we-need/.

Where and when can I donate?

Item donations can be dropped off on the last Sunday of every month from 12-7pm at Studio 24:

24-26 Calton Road,
Edinburgh,
EH8 8DP

For donation drop-offs out with these days please contact [email protected] for further information and to make arrangements. We also have a small warehouses at Peffermill and prearranged larger donations that are already organised, packed and labelled can be arranged to be delivered there by contacting our teams. Please see our website for further information: www.re-act.scot

Please don’t turn up out with the opening hours as we will not be able to take your donations.

We are also acting as a central sorting and distribution hub for many other groups across Scotland, and we welcome all who wish to work with us, or whom we can join and support.

Can I drop donations myself directly in Calais and other camps?

There is presently an urgent need to carefully coordinate logistics on the ground in camps. Please note that well-intentioned but uncoordinated donations not only waste precious resources and put pressure on local organisations as well as other volunteers, but also have the potential to create unsafe conditions for all involved.

Please first check whether there is already a drop-off point near you.

If there is no drop-off point in your area, please contact us on our Facebook page or via our email address, or fill out a contact submission on the website under our Contact tab at http://www.re-act.scot/contact-us/ for advice on how to go about organising your own collection point.

We are currently building established teams of volunteers who have vital skills that are required in various camps, as well as general volunteers to work locally and abroad. Currently nurses, medics, joiners, engineers and builders are among our list of vital skills needed for volunteer teams going abroad. Please get in touch with us through our volunteers page if you have applicable skills and training and would be interested in volunteering abroad with us.

You can also volunteer locally with us by joining our drop-off point packing teams, assisting us with local collections and transportation if you have a vehicle or joining our admin, campaigning or fundraising committees to help us to network and organise events. We welcome all volunteers who are able to reliably commit a small amount of time to us each week or month, who have good communication skills and who can occasionally attend meetings. We understand that most have full-time jobs, families and other commitments, so we will never ask anyone to donate more of their time and skills to us than they are able.

We are updating our website to serve you better. If something isn’t quite working yet, please let us know via the green button at the bottom. It helps a lot.
Exciting! We’re not only fixing a few bugs, we will be adding quite a few features to the site! New payment gateways, new ways to help you be more effective too!

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